A style of horsemanship pioneered by the "vaqueros," or cowboys, in 17th century Mexico rides again in California. "Tapadero," a new 80-minute film, explores that carry-over. The film shows Saturday at Casa Maria at the Old Mission in San Juan Bautista. Proceeds benefit the mission.  

"California's vaqueros are among the finest horsemen in the world," said Susan Jensen, a partner in the movie project. "Now there's a whole new generation of buckaroos (or vaqueros) coming out of the universities. They're working in jobs such as ranch managers, and they've revived this tradition." 

Jensen and Paul Singer run a small horse ranch in Santa Barbara. They've created J&S Productions, which made "Tapadero." The word refers to a long leather hood that covers the stirrup of a Mexican saddle. The tapadero shields a boot from the scratching action of brush and thorns - and it adds a touch of style. 

To film "Tapadero," Jensen and Singer traveled around California, Nevada and Arizona, as well as into Sonora in northwest Mexico. Probing the past spirited them back to old Mexico and to the breeding of Spanish Barbs, a horse that went to California with the early missionaries. To support those missions, padres created huge ranchos. That fact elevated the status of cattle and horses and especially of skilled horsemen. Mild weather and tranquil moments gave vaqueros time to develop and hone their skills. 

Because too few vaqueros came to California, the missions recruited Indians, who also became highly skilled horsemen. "Those skills have been handed down generation to generation," Jensen said. One of the more intriguing aspects of "Tapadero" is hearing 21st century buckaroos - droopy moustaches and flat-brimmed hats are still in vogue - explain why they're wedded to the cowboy life. 

The film looks at the types of horses that played a part in the evolving tradition. It examines saddles and bridles and other gear, including the "tapadero" itself. It shows seemingly the impossible figure-8, one of many loops in reata roping. Made of hand-braided rawhide, reatas are 60-to-100 feet long. The figure-8 catches a steer's head and front legs at once. 

"Tapadero" also visits landmark ranches such as the 24,000-acre Cojo Jalama Ranch and the Santa Margarita Ranch, once the rancho for the San Luis Obispo Mission. In the earliest days, the best horsemen from Alta California were called "Californios."

"Ask a 'Californio' who influenced his horsemanship, two names come up," Jensen said. The two are Salinas-area men, Bill Dorrance and Tom Dorrance, both deceased. They were from the Dorrance Ranch atop Mount Toro. Jensen credits them with an approach that helped revolutionize modern-day horsemanship. "Their idea was simple, but profound," she said. "They looked at the world through the horse's eyes. "The result was a horse that's a willing partner and not just a beast of burden."